Our Experts
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GEORGIE SMITH MEM
CHIEF STRATEGIST & TRAINER
There is an architecture uniting all change processes, and the few who see that pattern are its masters.
This is why industry leaders turn to Georgie. With 20 years in leadership roles across peak bodies, corporate and government, Georgie has a reputation for pinpointing the shortest pathway to needed change.
Specialising in behaviour change through industry quality assurance programs, Georgie has led 54 such assurance programs across the waste, water and renewable energy sectors. She has also overseen more than 30 behaviour change campaigns, ranging from organisational restructures to lobbying for legislative change.Georgie is also Founder of Upsides Training.
Career highlights include:reforming Australia’s rooftop solar quality assurance framework to deliver greater safety and reliability for 7,000 workers and 2 million households
designing the first iteration of the Australian regenerative agriculture certification scheme to expand the uptake of regeneratively grown food
framing the reform of the Victorian environmental permitting framework to drastically reduce regulatory burden while also reducing environmental harm
securing $9M in funding to continue Victoria’s Illegal Waste Dumping Strikeforce
reforming Austudy standards to enable financial support for up to 150,000 high-needs students per annum
implementing structural reforms to the UNSW Student Union that resulted in a 500% membership increase and secured their long term financial viability
In her spare time, Georgie works alongside Travis in serial renovations and wrangling their toddler.
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TRAVIS BATES BSc, MAICD
FOUNDER & CHIEF RISK AUDITOR
As global expectations on industries reach new heights, peak bodies face unprecedented pressure to provide their members with rigorous ways to demonstrate to customers, governments and communities that they are trustworthy.
This is why Proof Positive exists. Founded by one of Australia’s brightest non-executive directors, a leader in risk management, corporate social responsibility and governance, Travis and Proof Positive help serious peak bodies manage risks to health, quality, fairness and reputation.
From his start as an authorised field auditor in Australia’s first environmental regulator, to recent non-executive director roles on the boards and audit committees of Aware Super (the public sector’s largest super fund) and VicSuper (Victoria’s largest super fund) Travis has two decades of experience diligently controlling risk from the ground up through comprehensive regulatory strategy.
A Garry Weaven Scholar, industry executives trust Travis for his integrity, insight and independent thinking. And as a Harvard-educated change agent, Travis now works with leaders across Australia to advance their industry’s prestige, competitiveness and social license.Career highlights include:
conducting safety and process audits of over 500 high-risk industrial sites in the power, manufacturing, waste management and food processing industries
overseeing the merger of two multi-billion dollar companies
providing comprehensive advice to government on the reform of the Environment Protection Act (VIC)
Joining an international delegation on ESG and corporate social responsibility on a lobbying tour of Tier 1 global wealth managers
In his downtime Travis enjoys thinking about going for a run and playing hide and seek with Georgie and their toddler.
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CHRISTINE BAGGS BAppSci, MOHSE
OHS & CHEMICAL SAFETY SPECIALIST
Transitioning Australian industries will require leaps in materials and chemical science, and leaders capable of synthesising old and new.
This is why Proof Positive sought out Christine Baggs to join our team as OHS and Chemical Safety Specialist, bringing an additional layer of technical expertise relevant to many of our clients.
With over a decade of experience in integrating environmental management, chemical safety and human behaviour change, Christine is an auditing expert committed to ensuring that organisations can implement their quality assurance programs safely and in full legal compliance.
Christine works collaboratively with other Proof Positive experts to identify operational issues and develop clear, achievable reform plans that pave the way for our clients to achieve seamless execution of their strategies.In her spare time, Christine chases her two young children and stitches subversive needlepoints.
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DR BRONWYN CLAIRE PhD
FINANCE SPECIALIST
One of Australia’s leading minds on the intersection of agriculture, economics and sustainability, Dr Bronwyn Claire is an expert auditor with insights into the uniquely complex world of global finance.
Having led the analysis and quality assurance of billion-dollar programs through senior roles at KPMG Australia and Hong Kong, Dr Bronwyn has spent the last 4 years in the UK heading The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability’s ClimateWise Program where she and her team bring together the insurance industry and related organisations with world class academic expertise to collaboratively raise investment standards across the global financial system.Dr Bron is the newest member of Proof Positive. In her spare time, Dr Bron is the volunteer treasurer for multiple community organisations and charities. She enjoys marathon running and travelling the world with her partner and twin daughters.
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DR NIGEL PALMER PhD
EDUCATION SPECIALIST
In the Knowledge Century, a nation’s value can be measured in the rigour of its education sector.
Nigel has been a leader in Australian higher education policy development since 2005, having authored submissions to 10 government inquiries, given evidence before 5 federal parliamentary committees and presented to UNESCO.
He has been a member of the Joint Steering Group of The Australian Universities Quality Forum and an inaugural member of the Australian Government's Research Workforce Strategy Reference Group. Nigel was National President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations from 2006 to 2009. He is currently a peer reviewer for The Australian Journal of Politics and History (AJPH), The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management and The International Journal of Higher Education Research.
Recent publications include Mind the Cap: Postgraduate Coursework Degrees and Tuition Fees in Australia (2018), Degree Completion as an Indication of Quality (2016), System-Level Quality Strategies & the Student Experience (2013), The CRC Contribution to Research Training (2012) and Selection & Participation in Higher Education (2011).Dr Nigel has little spare time, but when he finds a moment, he likes to spend it with a nice glass of something and a few other bright minds, preferably with a nearby table to thump.